The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-06-02
A MEXICAN STREET.
IRREGULARITIES OF LIFE IN AN
INTERIOR TOWN.
Nearly Every Block on n Street Has
n Different Name-Strcct Cars
Run in Groups Tho
Armed Conductors.

The oddities of Mexican life and Gus
toms strike the traveller forcibly every
where in Mexico, but more especially in
the interior towns, where so-called "pro.
gress" has made few innovations. In
Guadalajara, as in many other Mexican
cities, one of the first things stranger
observes is the fact that nearly every
block on street has different name.
Suppose he starts down the Gale street.
de Eturbide, going straight ahead few
steps, the first thing he knows he is in
the Gale de Morelas, ora few feet further
on in the Gale de Santa Guadalupe. Hav-
ing set out for given place, he soon
finds himself in a hopeless snarl, for even
the numbers begin and end and skip
about as erratically as everything else
that is Mexican. In Guadalajara, not
only has every saint in the calendar
street or block named after him or her,
but some of them have their names
several times repeated in various parts Of
the city; and then there are all the men
eminent in local history to be thus hon
ored, besides hundred historic happen
ings which are commemorated in this
manner.
Another popularity of Mexican life is
that everybody lives over shop, if the
house be of two stories, or uses his lower
floor for stabling the horses, quartering
the servants etc. Even millionaires rent
the ground floors of their swell residences
for business purposes, and nobody seems
to have any domestic use for those lower
front rooms which Americans consider
most desirable. Go to call upon bishop,
or some other high dignitary, or upon any
family of known wealth, and if there is
not shoemaker pegging away at his
bench just inside the front door, or a
tailor-shop, or hair-dressing or black
smithing establishment, you are obliged
to squeeze past carriages standing in the
passage-way, or run the gauntlet of
horses heels, besides viewing the para
| phernalia of the forevcr-open kitchens
and smelling the next meals menu.
Another puzzling phenomenon to the
foreigner is that every man and woman
to whom he speaks Immediately presents
him with residence. On being intro
duced to Mexican, he grasps your hand
with ardent cordiality and remarks: "My
house is yours; it stands in the Gale de
so and so, No., and is entirely at your
service;" or he informs you with great
earnestness that La casa de U (''your
house, " is such and such number, that
he shall be offended if you do not occupy
it, and that he and his family are your
most humble servants. AS probably he
has just been introduced to you by some
other casual acquaintance, and has en-
! joyed the honor of knowing you not
more than five minutes, he would natur-
ally be astonished if you took him at his
word. The funniest part of it is that
these persons who so recklessly lay all
they possess at your feet would scarcely
be able to recognize you should they meet
you next day; and certainly if you (be-
ing of the "male persuasion'D took the
liberty of calling at the casa so generously
placed at your disposal, you would meet
with the coolest of welcomes and be per
mitted to see none of the ladies of the
household.
Another amusing oddly is that the
street cars run in groups, one car never
seen alone, nor two together, but always
three or four in row less than half {
block apart. Instead of starting from
the terminus one every five or ten min
utes, several are started at once every hall
hour To run each car it requires two
conductors, besides the driver, and il
many places two or three armed soldiers
The first conductor approaches a passen
ger, sells him ticket and pockets tn
money, and soon the second conducto
comes along and takes up the bit o
printed pasteboard; meanwhile the brass
buttoned guardians of the peace stant
glazing upon you with suspicious eye
and loaded carbines.
There are always first, second AM
third-cas cars. The coaches of tn
first and second class are made in New
York, and are similar to those used il
that city, while the third-class cars, man
ufactured in Mexico look more like ca
booses used on freight trains than any
thing else with which we are familiar
: First-class fares are sometimes as high a
fifty cents, though oftener madio ISL
and half cents, according to tn
. length of the line; and though there
{ little difference between riding first o
second class except in the character Q
the company, the sccond-class fares ar
usually Just half as much as first class
and the third class one-third. TIL
drivers are compelled by law to carr
horns and to blow them whenever
> crossing is approached, keeping up
perfect pandemonium in populcus qua
u tiers.
In Mexican society street-car conductor
t are gentlemen of considerable importanc,
with their silver garnished sombrero
c embroidered linen, brooches bedecke
IS with silver buttons up the outside sean
II and handsome pistols protruding frol
their belts. Why the pistols, l do nj
j., know, but conductor always wears tw
.e of them conspicuously displayed, prol
v ably because otherwise he doesn't cor
slider himself in ''full dress" Indeed
i. almost any Mexican would as soon G
outdoors without his coat as without h
:. pistol. He wears it to church, to Il
oDera to see his hest Girl: in shor